Aja is out to kill on new track ‘Finish Her’

Anyone who has watched All-Stars season 3 knows Aja is a force to be reckoned with and whether she’s dancing or rapping, she’ll floor you faster than her flying death drop. Her new track is a grime rap stuffed full of attitude and a wit sharp enough to cut her haters.

Finish Her is named and stylised after the Mortal Kombat games with the official video playing into this, the track incorporating soundbites from the visceral beat-em-up games. Though the track can be enjoyed alone, paired with the video it’s a treat. Aja seeps attitude in her delivery and is utterly enthralling, clearly demonstrating how she has leveled up her performance skills since her earlier debut on Season 9 of Drag Race. In the video, her looks from season 3 All Stars become characters and she gets played against herself, moving up in levels with each defeat. Sound familiar, Drag Race fans?

The backing track is a standard grime loop – the timings alternate to keep things interesting and there’s some nice synth work but in general, there’s nothing too adventurous or experimental on offer. However, that just gives the lyrics their time to shine. In true shady queen fashion, she’s ready to spill the tea (or, as demonstrated in her video, completely destroy the entire tea set).

Aja isn’t afraid to call out anyone and no one is safe on this track. Most people know Aja received plenty of hateful comments from “fans” of Drag Race, especially surrounding her feud with Valentina and this track acts as one giant clap back. There are a few sly lines about people believing a ‘wolf dressed up in glam’ which are likely directly about Valentina. The biggest lyrical fuck you in this track though is definitely reserved for her haters. She makes it clear she doesn’t care what people think: ‘I’m getting my laughs, I’m getting my tan, I’m living my life abroad with my man. What the fuck did you amount to? Commenting on who looks like who?’

There are so many brilliant lines that demand the listener’s undivided attention. Aja’s music doesn’t come across like a drag queen using her status to try out a musical career. Aja has real musical talent and is a killer rapper, she could easily stand alone as a musical artist without her drag career.

The success of RuPaul’s Drag Race may be helping some drag careers attract more fans, but the double-edged sword is swung hard by online haters. So, for anyone who thinks their opinion of a drag queen is worth anything, Aja leaves you with this:

‘If any fucking bitch got some shit to say, say it to my motherfucking face or else it ain’t fucking shit … If it wasn’t for a contract half of y’all would’ve been slapped.’